Frequently Asked Questions: How to Advertise on Youtube

Frequently Asked Questions: How to Advertise on Youtube

According to the latest web usage statistics, you're likely to pay about 65 percent less for a conversion from a Youtube advertisement than for a non-Youtube ad.  If your law firm wants to see that kind of cost reduction, you need to learn how to advertise on Youtube.  Beginning to advertise on Youtube doesn't have to be hard.  Keep reading to find out answers to five of the most commonly asked questions about how to advertise on Youtube.

Can I Still Advertise on Youtube Without Making Videos?

If you're just dipping your toes in the Youtube advertisement water, you may not yet be sure that you want to commit to having a series of professionally produced videos made.  You don't need to know anything about videos to learn how to advertise on Youtube.  In fact, you can advertise on Youtube even if you have no video content at all.

Many law firms are already using Google AdWords to create direct advertising for search engines.  Because Google has purchased Youtube, Google AdWords can be used to craft a Youtube advertisement that will bring in new business.  Today, learning how to advertise on Youtube is as simple as learning more about Adwords.

If you're not already familiar with the Google Adwords pay per click ad model, you may want to read some articles on AdWords tips before you go further.  Learning how to advertise on Youtube will require understanding search engine optimization and how to best use keywords.  It may take longer for you to advertise on Youtube if you've never handled a Google AdWords account in the past.

What Kind of Youtube Advertisement Is Best for My Firm?

You can choose from a wide variety of formats when you advertise on Youtube.  Basically, how to advertise on youtube requires the same kind of keyword optimization that Google AdWords does, but instead of just appearing in the side bar, you have some other display choices.

Simple text ads in the side bar are still possible, and they're still the cheapest way to advertise on Youtube.  You can also do non-video display advertising, which puts an image in the middle of the page or actually in a video while people are watching.

Once you're ready to use video, you can learn how to advertise on Youtube using video ads.  You can promote your videos to advertise on Youtube, or you can display a thirty-second Youtube advertisement before the video someone ordered starts playing.

You can also have your advertisement displayed on Youtube's searching and browsing pages.  The type of Youtube advertisement you'll want depends on why you want to advertise on Youtube and how large your budget is.  Law firms with big budgets can learn how to advertise on Youtube with video ads for maximum return, but even if you're a very small firm you can still afford a basic display ad.

Is There a Way to Advertise on Youtube for Free?

Maybe learning how to advertise on Youtube isn't as much of an issue as your firm's budget.  If this is the case, you can actually still advertise on Youtube without spending money on text or display ads.  However, in order to do this best, you'll have to spend money on producing professional looking video.

Once you've made a video, Youtube will provide the hosting for free, making the video a freestanding Youtube advertisement for your firm.  Now, learning how to advertise with Youtube videos of this type can be tricky, but you'll be able to do it if you leverage your connections on other websites.

Posting your Youtube advertisement to a variety of forums and social media websites (in a context where your ad won't be perceived as spam) can get your message out to a wide audience quickly.  When you advertise on Youtube this way, your only major costs are the initial video production.

Can a Youtube Advertisement Really Make Money?

No matter what kind of advertising on Youtube you're using, it's very much possible to use your Youtube marketing to generate conversions.  If your Youtube advertisement is well targeted, case studies show that conversions will be up to three times as likely than if you had advertised on another website.

Why?  Because consumers love video, especially consumers of legal services.  Your Youtube advertisement can give a much better idea than a text only website can of what your personality is like and what it would really be like to sit down in a consultation with you.  This can help clients feel at ease and make what could otherwise be an anxiety provoking phone call to your office.

If your Youtube advertisement gets enough organic (as opposed to paid) views, you'll actually get a check from Youtube.  Some people are making thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars by posting Youtube videos regularly.

What Does a Good Youtube Advertisement Video Look Like?

If you want to learn how to advertise on Youtube using video, you're going to need to learn some basics about what the site's user base wants.  Repeated studies have shown that Youtube viewers tune out of videos and stop watching if they're more than about two minutes long.

This doesn't mean you can never have a video longer than two minutes.  It does, however, mean you should keep your Youtube advertisement concise and easy to watch all at once.  You'll have a lot better luck with longer marketing videos if you wait to have a good subscriber base first, then start posting a few longer length files.

A good Youtube advertisement will also be exciting, or at least more exciting than an attorney talking from a desk.  Unless you're the most interesting lawyer in the world, you're going to need to do more than just talk in order to make your video stand out.  Consider using props or even skits in order to get your point across.  You don't need to be unprofessional, just catch the audience's attention.

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